So much for a flat cap. I think every GM went into the offseason assuming that free agency would be as it was last year—uneventful, thanks to limited flexibility. But then teams like the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers found ways to clear cap space, making everyone believe that they were setting up for big moves, forcing the rest of the league to recalibrate their plans on the fly.
Then, because they didn’t have a ton of time to think through their plans, they ended up going hog-wild with their contracts.
Meanwhile, the Islanders have not announced a single signing, nor have they filed any contracts with the league, according to CapFriendly.